


Still

by Strideshitt



Category: The Lorax (2012)
Genre: Hurt No Comfort, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 14:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17788919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strideshitt/pseuds/Strideshitt
Summary: Swag always knew One-ler wasn't going to make it through this.He just thought he had more time.(Swoncest if you want it to be)





	Still

**Author's Note:**

> "...You were so disappointed to see me unravel so easily  
> It's only change, it's only everything I know   
> ...Things that seem still are still changing"

Some of the changes come on so slowly no one else notices them until it's too late. Swag thinks that if he didn't know One so well, if they hadn't been best friends for-fucking-ever, he wouldn't notice them either. But they were close. 

So he noticed. 

He noticed the way One stayed silent for a little too long between his sentences, the way it took 5 or 6 or 10 tries to get his attention, the way he stopped following Swag around and instead just looked off into space away from everyone, even him. He noticed it all. Every change. 

And it fucking hurt. 

It wasn't like Prisma. One didn't just suddenly one day stop being... Alive. It was slow. Everyday he had to see a part of his friend go. Another memory slip. He wished it had been quick, just because waking up everyday and wondering "is this it?" just... Sucked. And yet, when that day came, there wasn't any relief. 

"Hey, princess." Swag greeted him as usual, noticing the man was standing a few feet from his tent, staring into nothing just like usual again. Everything was completely regular, normal, and yet a terrible gnawing feeling rose in Swag's chest as he got closer. "Hey. Princess." He said it louder, firmer. Nothing. He sighed. "Jesus Christ, do we need to get you hearing aids? Oneeee-" He reaches out and grabs One by the shoulder, expecting a reaction now because that always gets his attention, and then... Still nothing. Swag feels like the world is imploding in on itself. 

Again. 

"This isn't funny you idiot." Swag has had years practicing hiding his emotions, shoving them away with wit and insults taking their place. So, even now when he's confused and scared, his voice doesn't shake. Not even a little. Anyone who says it did would be lying. 

One still doesn't move, doesn't react, and when Swag tries to turn him around his body does so with minimal resistance. He wishes he hadn't done it. 

One-ler's eyes, which had been glowing since this mess started, look brighter. But that's not the thing that makes Swag's breath hitch in his throat. Theres no pupil in sight, just... empty. His whole expression is empty. His jaw is slack, mouth slightly open, and his eyes stare at nothing. The look is completely... zombie. 

"No." Swag frowns. "Stop. This isn't funny so stop it dude." 

One doesn't react. Of course he doesn't react. But being unresponsive is good right? At least he isn't trying to rip Swag's face off. That's a positive, probably. It means...

"He's been like that all night." 

Swag turns in surprise, seeing Ted standing there. The kid looks like he was crying but wiped the tears away a few seconds ago. 

"What?" 

"He... I was with Mr. One-ler yesterday. He was acting funny and then he..." Ted shakes his head, looking guilty and miserable and every other bad emotion all at once. "It was like when the infection takes over, but he didn't attack me... He didn't do anything." 

Swag's fists clench and shake at his sides. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" 

Ted flinches. "I did- I told Mr. 72. He said we should wait before telling anyone else. That maybe he'd-" 

"Why didn't you tell ME?" 

Ted looks scared for a moment, and Swag has to tell himself to calm down. Prisma wouldn't have wanted him to scream at the kid- One wouldn't... Fuck. 

"I'm sorry." He's still shaking, but with a long exhale he's okay. 

Ted, however, still looks thoroughly freaked out. God, Swag feels like an asshole. More than usual at least. But the kid doesn't bring it up, he just shakes his head and mumbles something that sounds like it includes the word "Entre" before he stumbles away. Great. Just what he needs. 

"One, dude." He turns back to the other man, who is standing exactly the same as he had been before. "You better snap the fuck out of this, arms and Ted and I all like you but super bitch won't be so understanding. Not after... Last time." It feels like there's a lump in his throat. It took so fucking long for Rocky to bother telling everyone what the fuck happened, and then he was... Gone. One, of course, didn't react to any of this. 

"Swag..." The voice is soft, sympathetic, and not the one he wanted to hear. Fucking Entre. 

"What?" Swag's grinding his teeth already, pised off by that tone, pissed off that his best fucking friend is giving him the silent treatment. Just. Pissed. 

"I'm sorry." There's a hand on his shoulder now. Swag refuses to look at the other man, instead staring at One's completely still chest. 

"Well don't be." Swag snaps but he doesn't mean to. Why the fuck is One-ler not breathing, Jesus Christ. 

There's a pause, and then Entre speaks again still using that stupid fucking tone of voice like Swag's dog just died. "...I can take care of it if you want." 

That gets Swag's attention. "It?" He repeats, turning around to look at the younger man. 

Entre coughs and avoids looking into Swag's eyes. "I mean... I can... You know."

"No, I don't know. What are you trying to say?" 

"He turned, Swag. All the way. I don't know why he isn't attacking us right now but... We need to make sure it stays that way. I'm sorry but... Someone needs to..." 

"Put him down like some kind of fucking animal?" Swag bites back and watches as Entre flinches, and then... nods. "Then I'll do it. Don't fucking touch him." 

Entre grimaces, but doesn't say anything. Swag stares at One-ler for a prolonged moment, and then hesitantly grabs his gloved hand. He doesn't want to do it here, not so close to camp that he has to... Be reminded. See his friend there. He can deal with a lot, but that... Is too much. Swag starts walking, still holding onto the others hand, and is pleasantly surprised to find that it...He.... Follows him. Ha, that leash would come in handy now.

"I'll be back." Swag says without turning around. If Entre is still standing there, he doesn't respond. 

Swag stays quiet the whole time. He feels like he should talk, he used to talk all the time, but it somehow the words don't come. He's angry with himself, thinking that maybe if he says enough One will snort and call him stupid or something like he used to before all this. But there's nothing to say, and even he isn't stupid enough to think that this could be anything but the end. And that's the worst part. He's denied so much shit for so long, and now the time where he really fucking wants to he just... Can't. Everything is too real, too painful to ignore. His hand involuntarily squeezes the others, his knuckles going white. If One was still aware of everything happening he'd probably point out the fact that Swag is crushing his hand, but he doesn't.

Because One-ler isn't there anymore, and he won't ever be again. 

Swag doesn't want to cry. He squeezes his eyes shut almost as tight as his hand, trying to stop anything from happening. He keeps going for a few more feet and then stops. 

 

"I can't so this." He says to no one as tears finally begin to spill out. "Shit. I can't fucking-" He pulls his hand free from One's and wipes at his face. "God. I'm so fucking stupid." Swag pauses and takes a breath. "I can't do this without you man. I promised to save you and-" 

Swag opens his eyes and looks at One-ler. He's still staring, slackjawed and eyes vacant. "Please, say something." 

One doesn't respond. Of course not. He's gone. 

"You know," Swag exhales sharply. "I always knew I was gonna outlive your gay ass. But I thought... There was gonna be more time." He pauses for a moment.   
"I can't..." He swallows thickly. "I can't fucking do this. I can't kill you or... Or whatever." He feels his hand shaking. Even if he wanted to, he probably wouldn't be able to do anything cleanly. It'd probably look like Entre did it, with his terrible fucking aim. 

God.   
There's silence, and for the first time Swag almost wishes One-ler would make that stupid wheezing noise he did sometimes when he breathes too hard. He wishes there was literally anything to tell him that this wasn't happening, that One was fine and...

"I'm sorry." Fuck, he's going to start crying again. "I couldn't... Protect you. I wasn't even there when you..." Died doesn't feel like the right word to use, but it's what happened, isn't it? God, why did the zombie stuff have to make everything so confusing. "I don't even know why I'm saying all this stupid shit, you can't even fucking hear me." 

Swag turns back to camp and takes a deep breath. He doesn't look at One again. He can't. "...See you later, buddy." 

He doesn't even make it all the way into One-ler's tent before he's crying again.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's day <3


End file.
